The central theme of our research is the exploration of quantum mechanical effects in engineered nanoscale structures and devices with a goal to study fundamental physical phenomena.

Using nanofabricated electronic structures such as wires, dots and rings--some of which are more than a thousand times smaller than the thickenss of human hair, we are exploring the nature of ground state of metals at temperatures as low as six-thousandth of a degree close to the absolute zero (0.006 K). Quantum effects at these temperatures allow the study of quantum coherence in the electron wave function and its loss due to the coupling to environmental degrees of freedom—or, decoherence. Our specific goal is to understand the process of decoherence and the mechanisms of its control for potential use in quantum information processing.